Liquid heater



W. F. CLARK LIQUIDYHEATER Filed April 2, 1921 III I||| Apr. 17, 1923.

Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN I. CLARK, F WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC ELEC- TRIC HEATER COMPANY, OF WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01 DELA- WARE.

LIQUID HEATER.

Application filed April 2, 1921. Serial No. 458,01.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WARREN F. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Warren and State of Pennsylvania, having invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Liquid Heaters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to water heaters.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce a water heater in which the water is circulated through and around the heating element.

Additionally the water is introduced. into the heater from the main pipe line in-such a manner as to immediately effect the thermostatic device which is employed in connection therein and the water which is drawn from the heater is taken from a portion where'the water is hottest.

' There are detailed features of construction of the heater which will appear in detail as the description proceeds.

Referring to the' drawings which'form a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation; .Fig. 2 is an elevation of aportion of the control device; Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical connection and Fig.

80 4 is a diagram of an alternate form of electrical connection.

At 1 there is indicated a boiler or shell which has a top member 2 and a bottom member 3. This shell is covered with any suitable heat insulation composition of which there are many well known, this covering being indicated at 4 in the drawings.

Preferably the shell or boiler with its covering is mounted upon suitable support comprising a top member 5, legs 6 and a con necting lower spider 7. The bottom member 3 of the boiler is provided with openings in which are collars 7 and threaded into these collars are the base members 8 of elec- 4 trical heating units. each of which heating units comprises an inner tubular member!) which is surrounded by a member 10 that carries the electrical resistance wire, and upon the outside is a casing or covering 11 which completely encloses and protects the electrical resistance element.

The base member 8 is hollow and is provided with one or more openings such as indicated at 8*. The tubular member 9 and the parts associated therewith are mounted upon the base member 8 and the tube 9 in effect forms a continuation of the hollow base member. The tubular member 9 extends upwardly to a point adjacent the top of the shell or boiler.

It will be obvious that when the boiler is filled with water and the heating elements are in operation that water will circulate upwardly through the tubular member 9 out through the top of the tubular member and replacing water will flow in through the openings 8* in the base .member 8, thus so long as heat is generated by the functioning of the heating element, there will be a continuous circulation of water.

In the present instance there are three such heating units as have been described, but this is merely exemplary and a greater or less number of heat units may be employed.

, The conductors which cooperate with the resistance wire 10 are attached to downwardly projecting flanges, such as indicated at 8*, and the upper member 5 of the supporting stem carries switches such as indicated at 12, thus making a compact and easily accessible construction.

Extending upwardly through'the central portion of the bottom member is a pipe 13, this pipe extending to a point near the top of the boiler. The pipe 13 extends without the boiler, and connects with a pipe line 14, which leads to the hot water line connecting withthe faucets from which hot water is to be used.- Itwill be seen that the hot water is conducted from the boiler at the point where the water is hottest, although it may be said that due to the circulation of the water through the heating units as before described, the temperature of the water in the boiler will be substantially uniform from top to bottom. However, when cold water is introduced into the boiler. it will of course pass to the bottom of the boiler due to its specific gravity and be introduced into the lower end of the heating units so-that all the water which is delive d fr m he heating units at the upper ends thereof willbe hot and therefore if water be drawn from this-portion of the boiler, the water so drawn will always be hot, even if at the same time cold water is being introduced into the boiler to re lace that drawn away.

4 The .col water is introduced into the boiler at a point well toward the bottom and the introduction of cold water is through the fittin indicated at 16. This fitting connects wit the cold water pipes 17 by means o'fa U-coupling 18 whereby the water is introduced at the underside of the fitting 16 so thatthe flowing water from the pipe 17 will not directly impact against the tube of the pressure responsive device wh1ch w1ll be described.

Extending through the fitting 16 is a tube 19 which connects with the Bourdon tube 20 which is carried within a casing 21. The tube 19 has within it any suitable volatile liquid and follows in its construction and operation forms which are very well known 1n the art and which form no part of the present invention.

Inasmuch as the tube 19 extends through the fitting 16, this tube will be contacted by the incoming cold water as it passes into the boiler. Consequently immediately upon the drawing of water from the boiler or tank and the consequent introduction of cold water into the boiler or tank, the thermostatic device is immediately afiected, and W111 cause the heating units to function. This is important inasmuch as it insures the functioning of the heating element just as soon as cold water is introduced, thus effectually preventing any great fluctuations of temperatures of the water within the boiler, under proper functioning of the system.

Figs. 3 and, 4 indicate electrical wiring diagrams by which the electric connections involving the heating elements of the heater, before described, may be wired for operation.

In the diagram shown in Fig. 3 the cur-. rent line may be indicated at 23 and 24. This current line connects at two points with a bar conductor 25 to which the electric heating resistance coils 26, 27 and 28 are connected at the terminal points 29, 30, 31, 32,

33 and 34 respectively. The terminalpoints 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 are suitably interconnected so that current may be supplied to each of these coils. At 35, 36 and 37 there are indicated switching devices which are connected in shunt with the various coils 26, 27 and 28 so that when the appropriate switch is turned to its closed position, current will be short circuited between the terminal points of the particular heating coil with which heat is connected, thereby providing an easierpath of travel for the curr nt hi h c n equently will not flow through the particular heating coil short circuited.

At 38 there is indicated a switching device and each of the separate elements of the switch, three in number, are each connected in series respectively with one of the heating coils and it therefore follows that when any one of the switches to which reference hasjust been made are opened current will not pass through the particular heating coil with which that switch is in circuit. These switches are adapted to be operated by the pin 20 of the Bourdon tube contained within the casing 21 andv as illustrated in Fig. 2 and when the Bourdon tube is expanded the pin 20 firstbreaks contact with the switch .which is in circuit with the coil 26 thus cutting out the coil 26 first and subsequently cutting out the coils 27 and 28 upon the continued movement of the Bourdon tube, thus functioning of the heating coils is automatically controlled by the Bourdon tube which of course is resistive to the pressure within the tube 19 and this tube in turn is responsive to the temperature of the water within the heater.

In Fig. 4 the three coils 26 27 and 28 are connected with the conductor bar 25. The coils 26 and 27 are both terminally connected with the points 29* and 30 while the coil 28 is connected at two separate points 31" and 32. The conductors from the lineare indicated at 23 and 24 and are connected with terminal points on the bar 25'.

A switch 38 is connected in series with the coil 28 so that this switch controls independently the functioning of the coil 28. The coils 26" and 27 are each connected in series with two independent switching devices such as indicated generally at 38 and these switching devices are adapted to be contacted by 'the pin 20 of the Bourdon tube in the same manner as described with respect to the switching device 28. This last mentioned diagram permits the employment of one coil to be always in operation and the other two coils to function in accordance with the requirements for the delivery of hot water. In other words, they function periodically as required.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a liquid heating device a closed container, means for heating liquid within the container, means for conducting liquid from the container, means for supplying liquid into the container, a'temperature responsive device having a portion which is mounted adjacent the means for feeding liquid into the container and directly affected by the cold liquid introduced into the container, and means whereby the temperature responsive device controls the functioning of the heating device.-

In a liquid heating device, a closed earn tainer, means for heating liquid within the container, means for conducting liquid from and means whereby the temperature responthe container, a casing through whlch liquid sive device controls the functioning of the 1 is introduced into the container, a temperaheating device.

5 ture responsive device having a portion In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my which extends through said casing whereby signature.

the cold liquid introduced into the container WARREN F. CLARK.

will affect the temperature responsive device 

